The Career IDEA

Today’s smartest employers are thinking more creatively about how to attract talented workers and encourage them to stay. Many are partnering with large landlords to include next-level amenities in their workspaces. Here are 5 things progressive employers are focused on to attract and retain the best talent today.

(BPT) - A recent report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that U.S. employment is projected to grow by 8.4 million jobs from 2018 to 2028. At the same time, employers are battling an ultra-competitive job market, in which candidates are being wooed by increased pay and enhanced medical benefits.

Today’s smartest employers are thinking more creatively about how to attract talented workers and encourage them to stay. Many are partnering with large landlords to include next-level amenities in their workspaces.

Today’s employers are focused on:

1. Transportation

A well-located workplace is a major selling point for attracting potential employees and retaining existing ones. Employers with a central location, easily accessible by public transportation, already have an advantage. For example, The Legacy Town Center office in Plano, Texas, boasts transit drop-off and pick-up at the building.

For environmentally minded employees who bike to work, secure bike storage is a real plus. The office tower at 201 Spear St. in San Francisco anticipates the needs of the area’s environmentally conscious workforce with bike storage and EV car charging stations, plus easy access to light rail.

Accenture Tower in Chicago sits above Ogilvie Transportation Center, one of the main suburban train stations connecting downtown Chicago to the suburbs, providing direct access to city trains, buses and expressways. The first two levels of the property are composed of 80,000 square feet of retail space, with more than 45 stores and restaurants.

2. Wellness

Beyond providing competitive healthcare plans, employers are seeking new ways to encourage and support employees’ health-related activities — a focus that contributes to less absenteeism and greater productivity. For example, Park Place Village in Leawood, Kansas, has massage therapy on-site for all of its tenants.

Many major office owners are adding state-of-the-art fitness centers. 3001 Washington Blvd. in Arlington, Virginia, features workout studios offering barre, yoga and HIIT performance classes in its eight-story, LEED Gold-certified Class A office building. And at Accenture Tower, the building includes a two-level fitness center spanning 14,000 square feet, with a basketball court, group exercise classes and new tenant lounge with air hockey, shuffleboard and wine lockers.

3. Convenience

For employees with busy schedules, it can be tough to find enough time in the day to take care of necessary errands. Workers are especially drawn to locales that provide day-to-day services everyone needs without even having to walk outside.

Some office buildings go a step beyond. For businesses at RBC Plaza in Minneapolis, employees can use the U.S. Postal Service, on-site bank, a sundry shop and even a shoe repair/shoe shine service. But it doesn’t stop there. Other services offered in the building include a car wash and detailing service, and private wine lockers. And in the Carillon office tower in Charlotte, North Carolina, there's an on-site daycare for parents.

4. Ambiance

Beyond location and service-based amenities, today’s employees are increasingly demanding a workplace with a beautiful atmosphere, which often includes access to outdoor spaces. Building designers are taking note, providing more open spaces, skylights and/or atriums for a lighter, more welcoming work environment.

For example, The McEwen Building in the Cool Springs submarket of Nashville, Tennessee, offers employees and visitors an outdoor sitting area complete with a fountain and plush landscaping, while 3003 Washington Blvd. in Arlington, Virginia, has a rooftop terrace with stunning views of Washington, D.C.

5. Employee engagement

With Generation Z workers about to enter the workforce, today’s employers also understand the power of creating engagement within their team, especially among young professionals. Next-level office amenities can increase employee satisfaction and deepen their connection to their employer.

For instance, RBC Plaza in Minneapolis offers a billiards lounge, as well as a cafe and coffee shop, while Preston Commons in Dallas, Texas, and 201 Spear St. in San Francisco both have on-site bars, giving office workers places to unwind and congregate after work.

KBS, one of the largest owners of office buildings in the nation, has partnered with many of America’s companies to support recruitment and retention by buying well-located offices and infusing them with state-of-the-art amenities. To learn more, visit kbs.com.

With appointments and meetings to remember, tasks to complete and jobs to finish, life can get crazy in the business world. To help limit the stress and anxiety of everyday business life, here are a few “hacks” for you and your busy colleagues, including keeping a calendar, getting rest, utilizing technology and keeping a clean workspace.

4 Hacks to Increase Productivity

(Family Features) With appointments and meetings to remember, tasks to complete and jobs to finish, life can get crazy in the business world. That’s why busy professionals need to stay on top of their game with simple tricks to help take care of work and life, day in and day out.

Luckily, solutions exist so that your schedule won’t drag you down. To help limit the stress and anxiety of everyday business life, here are a few “hacks” for you and your busy colleagues.

Get Some Rest
Without getting good sleep and recharging your brain, it’s impossible to stay on top of everything going on around you. It may be challenging to carve out time dedicated to resting, but it can pay off in the long run by planning to cut yourself some slack and get out of the office.

Make sure to get away from your cell phone, computer and other devices well before crawling into bed, that way your brain isn’t still charging ahead when you’re trying to shut down.

Keep a Calendar
One of the simplest ways to organize your life is to write down your schedule – even the simplest, most mundane appointments. Being able to take a quick peek at your calendar to see what you have to do in the coming hours, days and weeks can help take pressure off trying to memorize everything.

Whether you’re using a physical calendar or typing appointments and reminders into an app on your phone or computer, it’s an easy way to stay on track.

Utilize Technology
With so much technology available at your fingertips today, make sure you’re taking advantage of the technological tools at your disposal, such as Bamboo Slate and Bamboo Folio smartpads.

These tools seamlessly bridge the gap between paper and digital life by turning your handwritten notes into digital files, helping you to keep track of appointments, ideas and anything else that pops into your brain.

“Paper notebooks still play an essential role at the beginning of the idea process,” said Mike Gay, Senior Vice President for Wacom’s Consumer Business Unit. “They are often the last analog step within an otherwise fully digital lifestyle. So our goal was simple: Add the benefits of digital technology to the paper notebook and create an intuitive tool to help make ideas, no matter where and how they start.”

Bamboo smartpads sync paper notes through the Wacom Inkspace app, which offers the advantages of working digitally, including easy editing, organizing and sharing. The sleek tablets also allow files to be exported and made available to several third-party apps, that way you have options at your fingertips.

Keep a Clean Desk
Although it’ll take a few extra minutes each day, cleaning your workspace can help take away stress. With a messy desk, you might feel cluttered, disorganized and overwhelmed, so toss your trash and unnecessary papers.

Cleaning can also be a good way to wind down when it’s almost time to clock out for the day. By clearing your mind and wiping down your space instead of stressing over the final few minutes of work, you’re helping yourself in more ways than one.

Life can get hectic and it’s not always easy to slow things down. Instead of letting time – or a lack thereof – wear you down, use the resources around you to help take on the day, every day.